Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Rundu (Namibia)'

Since independence in 1990, various efforts have been made to improve the quality and management of Namibian schools, including the Basic Education Project (BEP-Project). In collaboration with the Geselschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), the BEP-Project has supported the implementation of important Government programs, such as Lower Primary reform and the cluster system. In 1995 the BEP-Project began to address educational needs in the Rundu education region. It was believed that Rundu had in the past been the most neglected region, especially with regard to education. The school cluster system was devised to facilitate new ways of education service delivery and to address the question of improving education standards. The purpose of this research is to answer the question: "How do the management and staff of a secondary school in the Rundu region of education experience a school cluster system?" To this end, the research seeks to determine what potential the cluster system holds and how that may be realised, and to also establish whether there is any evidence of change in management practices. A case study method has been employed to gain insight into the cluster system as a management tool. Ten respondents, all of whom have been employed at the school in question for a considerable period of time, were interviewed before and after the implementation of the cluster system. The research disclosed that disparities and tension in the school were legacies of the colonial education system, but that the cluster system had bridged the gap and enhanced uniformity and cooperation. Sharing of ideas on educational issues and constant interaction created a conducive environment for academic performance. The case study further disclosed that parental involvement in decision making is still a course for concern and that the cluster system has not yet addressed this issue. The study has shown that decentralisation has taken place and that rural schools are no longer operating in isolation. A lack of innovative ideas has hampered training as a cluster activity. From the research, it is evident that schools have previously operated on an individual basis, but that the cluster system has created the opportunity for schools to interact on a regular basis. This study is timely and of national importance. I anticipate that this study will be of use to policy makers in making decisions for the future development of the cluster system.

While women constitute more than 51% of the population and far outnumber men in teaching positions in Namibia, very few occupy positions of leadership. Male candidates are still favoured for top positions, thereby denying women the chance to gain entrance to these positions. One of the reasons for this imbalance seems to be that, in spite of conscious political effort and legislation, women may still be perceived as less effective leaders than men. This research focused on leadership in education, in particular school principals, and explored the perceptions of female principalship held by school inspectors. Three school inspectors from the Rundu Education Region were purposefully selected and interviewed. Inspectors were selected on the grounds of their considerable influence in the selection and appointment of school principals. The study found that these inspectors favour school principals who show commitment to their work, have good interpersonal working relationships, are caring, good listeners, visionary and produce good results. The inspectors attribute female principals’ success to their traditionally perceived characteristics, such as caring leadership and ability to develop good human relations. Instead of perceiving these qualities as professionally negative (as is sometimes argued in the literature) the inspectors see them as indisputable assets to leadership. The respondents acknowledge the cultural stereotyping that may have influenced male attitudes to women in the past, but argue that good leadership is not specific to gender, but part of the qualities a person possesses, regardless of sex. This study concludes that, contrary to what has been reported in many studies, these inspectors perceive women principals as effective – equal to their male counterparts or sometimes even more effective - because they are caring, well organized and good at communicating and establishing relations with others. Though these qualities are different from the traditional masculine qualities which include independence and emotional strength, the respondents recognize and legitimize them as preferred qualities in current effective leadership practice.

This research dealt with the following cases of relocation that occurred in Rundu, namely: Nkondo village in the 1950s, forced removal to Nkarapamwe Black Township in 1968, and the relocation of Sarusungu and Mangarangandja in 1971 and 1972. The central research aim of this study was to explain why and how relocations occurred and their impact on the communities. The study also aimed to explain the motives of the authorities for the removals.

The research, investigating how a selected group of former BETD graduates understand and implement the theory of reflective practice, is a qualitative case study carried out in the Kavango region of Namibia. The study was shaped by one of the major policy emphases in Namibia’s post independence teacher education reform process - that of developing reflective teachers who actively participate in curriculum planning and take educational decisions based on their own judgment. A basic assumption underlying the study is that effective educational practice is dependent on practitioners thinking about what they are doing and acting on their reflections to improve practice. The study found that a fundamental problem preventing these teachers from implementing reflective practice in accordance with the Namibian educational reform process, is that the participating teachers neither understand the exact meaning of reflective practice nor do they have a common or shared view of the concept, in spite of their common qualifications. A key contributing factor to their problems with implementing reflective practice is the lack of a deep understanding of the reform epistemology and pedagogy revealed by the three former BETD graduates selected for the research. These are the teachers referred to in the first paragraph: The first teacher is Helena, a teacher at Duduva primary school, the second teacher is Kalishe, also teaching at the same school as Helena and the third teacher is Darius at Ntja Junior secondary school. The qualitative approach employed for the study served to illuminate and highlight specific issues related to the implementation of reflective practice that will be of considerable value for the researcher in her capacity as a teacher educator. These included among others: • The teacher’s need for an understanding of the key principles on which reflection is based and how to translate these into practice. • The need for teachers to have a clear understanding of the role that learners play in the reflective process. • The need to revisit the Basic Education Teacher Diploma (BETD) education programme, because for teachers to reflect they need a sound subject knowledge on which to base their judgments. These aspects, as well as the identification of the factors in the school system that contribute to the failure of reflective practice, provide a foundation for finding real solutions to the problems identified.

This portfolio discusses various important aspects that affect teacher education. The portfolio has become an important tool for assessment in education. The research component of the masters' course that I attended is reflected in this portfolio. To complete this course several aspects were covered. The educational reform process in the Namibian context requires the use of appropriate resources, an environment conducive to learning, active involvement of the learners and teachers who should have a better understanding of the system adopted. Teacher educators are seen as important in transforming Namibian education in the sense of breaking the cycle of authoritarianism and inequities that existed in schooling prior to independence in 1990, and that still continue to exist in many Namibian schools today. Much effort has been devoted to creating conditions in colleges of education, where future teachers experience the same kind of teaching and learning that is envisioned for schools in the country. To accomplish this a great deal of effort has been devoted to the professional development of teacher educators. This masters' course was initiated to address the shortcomings of teacher education in Namibia. The preparation of teacher educators to be willing and able to prepare teachers in a manner that is consistent with national educational goals has been a neglected element of educational reform in Third World countries (Taylor and Peacock, 1997). Nahas Angula defines teachers as critical agents in creating the reform in relation to several broad principals: access, equity, quality, and democracy. As Ebbutt and Elliot (1998) point out, these principles are defined in very broad terms and provide the opportunity for teachers, teacher educators, and administrators to translate the ideals in particular contexts through practical reflection and deliberation. The Namibian reforms are underpinned by democratic ideals, the intention being to develop broad participation in defining and developing the reform tenets in specific contexts. In Namibia it has been recognized that qualitative changes in classroom practice will only occur when teachers understand them and accept them as their own. It is also recognized that because many teachers have been educated under the authoritarian system of the past, conceptual changes are needed in the minds of the teachers for the reforms to be successful. These include a shift from the belief of teachers as civil servants who are merely to "deliver" a curriculum dictated from above, to one of teachers as reflective professionals who play important roles in interpreting and defining the reforms and in giving meaning to such values as learner-centered and democratic education, continuous assessment, and critical inquiry (Swarts 1998). In the case of Namibia, we have a situation where there is an attempt to fundamentally transform an authoritarian education system that emphasized repetition and rote learning of received knowledge to one where learners are active participants in the learning process and where the curriculum is relevant to and respectful of different cultural traditions and communities. The learner-centered philosophy that guides post-independence educational reforms in Namibia calls for breaking down the authoritarian teacher-student relationships of the past. It encourages teachers to begin instruction by gaining an understanding of their learners' existing knowledge, skills, and understandings and to actively involve them in the learning process toward the goal of preparing citizens for a democratic society. The background above will help the readers to understand the sections covered in this portfolio. In the first part, the portfolio looks at a case study that analyses pre- and post-independence teacher education in Namibia. This study focuses on the Rundu College of Education and investigates the implementation of the Basic Education Teacher Diploma (BETD) Broad Curriculum in relation to the History syllabus. This paper presents information on what led to post-independence teacher education reforms in Namibia and why the reform was necessary. The BETD Broad Curriculum advocates the principles underpinning teacher education reforms in Namibia. The analysis looks at whether the History syllabus applies the principles of teacher education reform in relation to practice in the classroom. This paper addresses the historical background of a History curriculum, which shows the importance of a contextual understanding of the theoretical framework. The second paper looks at the theories underpinning the pre- and post-independence curriculum and the reform process in Namibia, how each theory views knowledge and why a decision was taken to apply them. The third paper is a literature review that links the epistemological ideals of reform to the classroom situation. This paper provides the basis for a small-scale empirical research. The research proposal included in the portfolio emerged from the earlier studies and identifies a key area for investigation within the domain of my particular area of teaching. The identified research problem investigated is presented in the final paper of the portfolio. These research findings can be applied to different situations in different schools. The portfolio is completed by the presentation of a short reflection of the role of the portfolio in this masters' course.

I embarked upon this study to investigate mathematics teachers' practices that have led to the persistence of traditional teaching methods in grade 9 mathematics classrooms in Rundu. The study was conducted from a learner-centred (L-C) perspective or reform approach in the Namibian context. It is a qualitative study oriented in the interpretive paradigm- a paradigm that seeks to understand the meanings attached to human actions. The participants involved in this study were purposively selected and they are composed of two mathematics teachers and their grade 9 learners. This study was conducted at two schools in Rundu. One is an urban school while the other one is a rural school on the outskirts of Rundu. The research tools employed in this study are questionnaires, interviews and observations. The questionnaires were used to identify and select my participants while the observations were used to investigate the participants teaching strategies. The purpose of the interviews was mainly to investigate teachers' understanding, interpretation and implementation of learner-centre education (LCE). Amongst other findings, this study reveals that inadequate teacher-training, controversial educational policies and challenges such as overcrowdedness in mathematics classrooms, lack of teaching and learning materials, lack of cooperation among mathematics teachers and learners' negative attitude towards mathematics are some of the contributing factors to the persistence of traditional teaching methods in mathematics classrooms. Moreover, the study reveals that the persistence of traditional teaching methods in mathematics classes can no longer be attributed to the lack of understanding of LCE. The teachers in this study seem to be well acquainted with the theoretical aspect of the LCE framework while the implementation aspect seems to be a concern.

HIV and AIDS still challenges the best efforts of public health and medical establishments and continues to ravage communities around the world. While measures have been put in place to preclude it from further spread, recent studies in the field of HIV and AIDS prevention intimate that for more efficacious intervention to be realized, it is critical to understand and address the social and cultural practices which influence sexual behavior, particularly understanding how issues of masculinity plays a role in the perpetuation of these behavior. Relying on Bourdieu’s theory of social practice, this study explores the inherent enduring nature of habitus and its role in the production and maintenance of masculine and sexual identities that predispose young men to HIV and AIDS. The study was conducted in Rundu Urban Constituency in Kavango Region of Namibia to gain insight into male youth’s masculinity and conceptions of risk and vulnerability to HIV and AIDS. The study design was qualitative and interpretive in nature. Data collection strategies included focus group discussions and individual interviews. Twelve male youth aged 17-20 years in two secondary schools (six in each) were selected to participate in the study. Four focus group discussions and fourteen individual interviews were conducted. Institutional ethical clearance from both regional education office and the schools were obtained before undertaking the study. Participants also signed written consent forms before interviews started. The findings of this study revealed that young men from this community were under constant pressure to conform to dominant masculine norms and values. Key in the case of youth in the study was the need to procreate as a dominant marker of one’s masculine and sexual identity because it represented a primary source of a ‘real’ man’s social identity in this community. This masculine and sexual identity seemed in itself to be constructed along paternal lines and cultural beliefs, which youth preserved by not only complying, but also reproducing. The sexual activities they reported that would secure their position as `real` men were often those that put them at risk and made them vulnerable to the epidemic.

Namibia is one of the countries in Southern Africa which is hardest hit by the double burden of HIV and TB. Namibian national data shows that, although 50% of all TB patients in 2011 were HIV positive, there was an unintegrated approach in the management of these two diseases (Seeling, Mavhunga, Thomas, Adelberger & Ulrichs, 2014:269). It is against this background that this study was conducted. The goal of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of patients with HIV and TB co-infection in Rundu, Namibia. A qualitative research approach was utilised in this study. The researcher draws attention to the experiences of co-infected patients by employing a phenomenological design which allowed patients to reminisce on their lived experiences. The study was therefore exploratory and descriptive in scope. Unstructured one-on-one interviews were used to collect data. The findings reveal the presence of structural deficiencies in the management framework for co-infected patients. For instance, the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) was not well-co-ordinated and there was no integration of HIV and TB services. Consequently, patients experienced a sense of being neglected by health care professionals and noted that their interests as patients were, to a certain extent, ignored. Participants preferred to be treated in the context of their home environment by means of home based care (HBC). Most participants bemoaned the existence of stigma both at community level and in health care settings. A range of psychosocial experiences were also described. As a consequence of this study, general recommendations were put forward and these included the need for the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) to expedite the integration of HIV and TB services in Namibia, particularly in relation to patients getting HIV and TB services under one roof. It was also noted that for co-infected patients to be holistically managed, there is a need to strengthen HBC as a strategy of managing patients to guarantee the involvement of family members in keeping with the biopsychosocial perspective (BPS), the theoretical framework for this study. While the goal and objectives of this study were generally met, the researcher stressed the need for future research to explore the feasibility of HBC as a strategy for managing HIV and TB co-infected patients before the Government of the Republic of Namibia could incorporate the strategy in policy.
Mini Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2015.
Social Work and Criminology
MSW
Unrestricted

This thesis attempted to develop insight into why, contrary to expectation and predictions, learners in Rundu obtained better scores in a standardised English comprehension test than learners in Katima Mulilo, given that the conditions of teaching and learning were judged to be least favourable in Rundu.

The purpose of this study was to investigate School Board members' perceptions and expenences of their roles in a secondary school in the Rundu Education Region of Namibia. A case study was conducted within the interpretive paradigm. Six School Board members from the selected school were interviewed. The data were analysed using qualitative data analysis practices. The findings of the study indicate that there are numerous constraints that interfere with the Board members' ability to effectively carry out their role as a school governing body. These constraints include a lack of knowledge and understanding of the Education Act, a lack of skill in conducting basic management and organization processes and a lack of support from the circuit inspector and Regional Education officers. This study provides some understanding of the circumstances of the School Board in trying to execute its role in implementing the Education Act, especially the section dealing with School Boards. As such, this research provides an agenda for the support and improvement of the work of School Boards in Namibian secondary schools.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
Bibliography
Student teachers are faced with the challenge of adapting their teaching so as to accommodate active learning through self-assessment, peer assessment and reflection. The objectives of the study were therefore to explore how active learning may be enhanced through self-assessment, peer assessment and reflection. The participants in the study were second- and third-year students at Rundu Campus of the University of Namibia. The research employed a case study design with qualitative data and using a descriptive, contextual approach. Semi-structured interviews, focus-group interviews and observations were utilised to obtain data. Once consent was obtained from the relevant authorities, second- and third-year student teachers were interviewed. Ethical requirements were adhered to throughout the research process. The findings indicated that students had both positive and negative perceptions in respect of self-assessment, peer assessment and reflection in promoting their active engagement in learning. Overall, the findings of the study revealed positive signs that active learning can be enhanced by student teachers through the use of strategies such as self-assessment, peer assessment and reflection. The study also pointed to implications of the research for teacher education practices and possible future research.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the contradiction between the teaching of integration in ETP and the actual practice of compartmentalisation within ETP at the Rundu College of Education. The second part of this study is to explore and examine the way teacher educators could integrate subjects into their specialisation areas at college level. It is hoped that this study will contribute to the following: • The reason (s) why there is a contradiction between the teaching in ETP and the actual practice of compartmentalisation within the ETP. • Examining and investigating factors that have contributed to the teaching in a compartmentalised way.

This Bachelor’s thesis explores the relationship between borders, boundaries and migration, and their effect on identity making from a diasporic perspective. The study focuses on notions of national, regional, cultural, tribal and ethnic identity, and set in relation to the influence borders and boundarieshave on these processes. It investigates this topical realm within the specific conditions of the Angolan-Namibian border, following the developments from the era of colonization, independence struggle and decolonization and the transformation of Angola and Namibia into self-asserting and sovereign states, in which it focuses on the identity making of the Angolan diaspora residing in the border town of Rundu, northern Namibia. In doing so, it sets out to investigate the connection between macro variables and processes such as colonialism, the Cold War in Africa, and independence movements, to micro processes focusing on the living conditions and experiences of border residents. The study aims at a holistic approach drawing from theoretical developments within border and boundary studies stemming from disciplines such as political geography and anthropology, along with migration studies and social psychology. The results suggest that differing dominant conditions of the Angolan and Namibian states in terms of historical and political development, living conditions and the manifestation of the border and political assertion of the nation-states, has indeed helped to inform and construct different social categories and identities. In terms of the Angolan diaspora, the results indicate that migrants acquiring Namibian citizenships and thereby rights, did redefine their national identity to a greater extent than those denied documentation as their agency has become curtailed, leaving this group in an identity-limbo. The main contribution of this study is an investigation of what the border-migration-identity nexus means in terms of the Angolan diaspora and the Kavango region.

In Southern Africa, burgeoning intercultural contact results in the emergence of (bicultural) sociocultural contexts which emphasize African traditional and Western industrial values to different degrees. In transitioning between these contexts, Southern Africans may experience feelings of dissonance which potentially threaten identity. In managing these transitions, individuals arguably employ various hybridization strategies in order to navigate socio-cultural contexts whilst maintaining a coherent sense of self. Though part of a broader Southern African study initiated by Cumpsty in 1998, this dissertation represents a stand-alone inquiry into how the value-priorities of school-leaving respondents in Rundu, northern Namibia, have changed or stayed the same between 1998 and 2017. What is more, it seeks to ascertain if/how these respondents have hybridized their value-systems confronted with increasingly bicultural experiences. Cumpsty's quantitative instrument for measuring values was administered to the entire school-leaving cohort in two schools in Rundu in 1998 and in 2017. This data was comparatively analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in order to measure the extent to which change/continuity had occurred over the nearly 20 year period. Profiles were generated from the two sets of quantitative data, which revealed how respondents hybridized African traditional and Western industrial values, and the results were analyzed comparatively. This dissertation's central finding has been an unexpected pattern of general continuity in the value-priorities of respondents between 1998 and 2017, which is also demonstrated in the patterns found in the dominant profiles. These results indicate the use of distinct strategies which allow respondents to integrate African traditional and Western industrial values into hybrid value-systems - which in turn allow them to navigate bicultural experiences whilst maintaining a coherent sense of identity - and therefore repudiates the notion of globalisation resulting in increasing socio-cultural uniformity. This finding indicates that if the definition of development is broadened to encompass the satisfaction of fundamental human needs, then an account of identity is crucial, which in turn renders an account of values indispensable to the development debate in Southern Africa. Lastly, this dissertation uses Cumpsty's instrument, which is fundamentally flawed, and ends with a critique of the instrument.

Namibia, as most countries on the African continent, is facing a high rate of teenage pregnancies. It is one of the biggest social issues challenging contemporary society, contributing to social problems such as illegal abortions, baby dumping and suicide attempts. The aim of this bachelor thesis is to focus on young women and their experiences of being pregnant teenagers and young mothers. During this research process young mothers have elaborated on their own life situation discussing ideas that could have helped them during the pregnancy. They also give ideas on what could be helpful for them today. The research also pays attention to the attitudes that the young mothers face in their communities. The town were this research was carried out, Rundu, is situated in the Kavango region, which has the far highest rate of teenage pregnancies in the country. This is a qualitative research and data was collected through daily observations, conversations and semi-structured interviews. In the understanding of my results, I have used gender theory, social exclusion, social construction, stigmatisation and an intersectional perspective. According to the results six of my seven respondents were struggling during pregnancy and still do today. They struggle/struggled mainly due to lack of resources and money as well as not having enough people helping them taking care of the baby. Most of the young women left school at an early stage of the pregnancy. This either because school policies would not let them proceed or because school uniforms and shoes were getting too small. Attitudes present and the discourse on pregnant teenagers among young and old people in Rundu prevented some of the pregnant girls from taking part of a social life. They got blamed for falling pregnant. Some of them were feeling very ashamed over their condition and started living more isolated lives, not going in to town anymore and thereby missing health controls at the hospital.
Namibia har, som de flesta afrikanska länderna, en hög grad av tonårsgraviditeter. Tonårsgraviditeter är ett av landets största sociala bekymmer, eftersom det leder till andra sociala problem så som illegala aborter, ”baby dumping” och självmordsförsök. Syftet med denna kandidatuppsats är att lägga fokus på de unga mödrarna och deras upplevelser av att vara gravida tonåringar och unga mammor. I uppsatsen får de unga mammorna möjlighet att resonera kring sina egna livssituationer och kring vad som hade kunnat hjälpa dem under tiden då de var gravida. De berättar också om vilken sorts stöd de behöver idag. Uppsatsen lägger vidare fokus på attityder som de unga mammorna möter i de olika sammanhang där de befinner sig. Staden Rundu, som är platsen där empirin har samlats in, är belägen i Kavangoregionen, som har den absolut högsta siffran tonårsgraviditeter i hela landet. Detta är en kvalitativ studie och empiri har samlats in genom dagliga observationer, samtal och semi-strukturerade intervjuer. I analysen av resultaten har teorier kring genus, social exklusion, social konstruktion, stigmatisering samt ett intersektionellt perspektiv använts. Resultaten visar att sex av de sju informanterna hade det svårt under sin graviditet och fortfarande har det svårt idag. De har det kämpigt främst på grund av att de saknar ekonomiska tillgångar och människor omkring dem som kan hjälpa dem att ta hand om barnet. De flesta av informanterna lämnade skolan vid ett tidigt stadium av graviditeten. Det berodde antingen på att policies på de olika skolorna inte lät dem fortsätta eftersom de var gravida eller för att deras skoluniformer och skor blev för små. Attityder mot tjejerna och diskursen kring tonårsgraviditeter i Rundu hindrade en del av informanterna från att ta del av ett socialt liv. De fick skulden för att ha blivit gravida och vissa av dem skämdes väldigt mycket över sin situation. Detta ledde till att de började leva mer isolerat och inte gärna vistades inne i centrum. Vissa av tjejerna missade därmed kontroller på mödravården.

La these conduit une reflexion sur l'emergence de collectivites urbaines dans quatre ville de deux anciens homelands du nord de la namibie qui etaient soumis au regime colonial sud-africain d'apartheid et depourvus d'instances urbaines locales jusqu'a la proclamation de l'independance en 1990. Apres avoir retrace le contexte politique d'emergence et de faconnement des villes, et mene une interrogation sur leur nature, l'auteur analyse la mise en place des nouvelles autorites locales dans le cadre de la decentralisation de 1992, leurs rapports de dependance et de subordination au pouvoir central et leur competition avec les autres pouvoirs locaux, anciens et nouveaux. Il souligne le caractere ambigu et contradictoire de cette decentralisation mise en uvre par un gouvernement reticent a partager le pouvoir gestionnaire. La gestion fonciere a ete retenue comme revelateur des recompositions territoriales. Elle met en lumiere les pratiques, strategies et logiques de controle et d'appropriation du sol des pouvoirs et des citadins. Elle revele l'evolution du rapport de l'homme au sol et des rapports sociaux face aux enjeux fonciers. Face aux opportunites de rente urbaine, les alliances et les antagonismes sont fluctuants et variables selon les quartiers et les villes et dessinent des territoires disputes dont les frontieres se chevauchent. Fortement differenciee, la population urbaine tend vers une fragmentation sociale et spatiale qui met au defi la capacite des pouvoirs a structurer et consolider des collectivites urbaines encore fragilisees par l'heritage de l'apartheid.

Aim: To obtain baseline data on adherence levels and the major determinants of adherence among patients on HAART at Rundu Hospital, Namibia.

Namibia has recorded an ascending trend of maternal and neonatal mortality rate from 225 &ndash
449 per 100 000 women from 1992 to 2006, and 38 &ndash
46 per 1000 live births from 2000 to 2006 respectively. Kavango Region in Namibia is one among the top seven regions with high maternal and infant mortality rate. Most pregnant women in peri-urban areas of Rundu District in the Kavango region, where this study was conducted, attend ante-natal care services but do not use public health facilities for delivery. The health records from the public health facilities in Rundu, especially from Nkarapamwe clinic and Rundu Hospital maternity section, reveal that although the pregnant women comply with the required standard policy of a minimum of three visits per pregnancy or more, over 40% of women who attend public ante-natal care clinics do not deliver in the public health facility. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of women regarding obstetric care in public health facilities in Kehemu settlement, a peri-urban area of Rundu town. The objectives of the study were to explore the perceptions of women on accessibility and acceptability of maternity services in public health facilities. An explorative qualitative study design using focus group discussion as a data collection method was conducted with three groups of women. A purposeful sampling procedure was used to select participants. Ethical approval was obtained from the High Degree Committee of University of the Western Cape and permission to use data from local facilities was obtained from the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Participants were recruited on their own free will and they signed an agreement on confidentiality. A data reduction process was used for analysis. The study findings indicate that women wish to use public health facilities for deliveries due to perceived benefits, in particular, safety for the mother and the baby and that those services are affordable. However a number of reasons hinder women to access services including the attitudes of health care providers, inability to afford transport at night and cultural influences. The study recommends that delivery services at the local clinic be expanded from eight to twenty-four hours
an information campaign on pregnancy and birth complications as well as the benefits of delivering in a public facility be implemented
refresher training for nurses to improve their caring practices during delivery should be considered and that a similar research be conducted with care providers to ascertain ways to improve maternity services in the public health facility in the area.

The Prefecture of Pella bought Heirachabis in 1895 and occupied it in 1898. This marked the beginning of the Mission in the South. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate officially started on 8 December 1896. They were allowed to minister among the Europeans and among Africans, not ministered to by a Protestant Mission. The first expansion was at Klein Windhoek, and at Swakopmund being the gateway to the Protectorate. The Tswana invited the Mission to help them after they had arrived from the Cape. Aminuis and Epukiro were founded. After 1905 the Mission was allowed to open stations among the Herera and Damara. Doebra, Gobabis, Usakos, Omaruru, and Okombahe were the result. Seven expeditions were undertaken to reach Kavango. After many failures the first mission became a reality at Nyangana in 1910. Just before the war the expansion reached Grootfontein, Tsumeb and Kokasib. In the South missions were opened at Warmbad, Gabis, Keetmanshoop, Luederitz and Gibeon. World War I scattered the African population of the towns which disturbed the missionary work. The S. A. Administration allowed most missionaries to stay. After the Peace Conference S. W. A. became a Mandate of S. A. In 1924 permission was granted to enter Owambo. The first station was opened in Ukuambi, later followed by Ombalantu and Okatana. In 1926 the Prefecture of Lower Cimbebasia was elevated to the Vicariate of Windhoek, while the Prefecture of Great Namaqualand became the Vicariate of Keetmanshoop in 1930. World War II left the missionary activities undisturbed. In 1943 Magistrate Trollop in Caprivi invited the Catholic Mission in 1943 to come and open educational and health facilities. The South expanded into Stampriet, Witkrans, Aroab, Mariental. The election victory in 1948 in South Africa of the Afrikaner Parties with the resulting apartheid legislation negatively affected the missions in S. W. A. After 1965 the influence of Vatican II became noticeable, while the pressure of the United Nations Organisation moved the territory towards independence. While initially the Catholic Church had been very cautious, in the ?O's and 80's she took a very definite stand in favour of human rights. She also became a full member of the CCN.
Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology
D. Th. (Missiology)